INFLUENCE OF WATTLE GENE ON UDDER AND MILK YIELD CHARACTERISTICS IN RED SOKOTO GOATS

Abstract

The Influence of Wattle Gene on Udder and Milk Yield Characteristics in Red Sokoto Goats was studied using records from 166 Red Sokoto goats consisting of 6 adult bucks and 60 adult does and 100 kids/progenies comprising 47 males and 53 females. The data were collected over a 3 years period (December, 2015 to December, 2018) at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Animal Production Technology, College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Mando Road, Kaduna. The data were analysed using the General Linear Model (GLM) SAS. The udder morphological traits recorded were udder height (UH), udder circumference (UC), Teat length (TL), teats circumference (TC) and distance between two teats (DT). The milk yield characteristics measured were average daily yield (ADY), Initial yield (IY), Peak yield (PY), total yield (TY), Last test day yield (LTDY), peak days (PD) and Lactation length (LL). The results revealed that the mean value for udder morphological traits for wattled and non-wattled does were 14.00cm (UH), 26.95cm (UC), 3.62cm (TL), 4.05cm (TL), 8.0cm (DT) and 11.73cm (UH), 24.07cm (UC), 2.53cm (TL), 2.93cm (TC), 6.60cm (DT) respectively. While the mean value for milk yield characteristics for wattled and non-wattled does were 402.38g (ADY), 503.10g (IY), 681.42g (PY), 59.80kg (TY), 80.95g (LTDY), 33.40days (PD), 117.07days (LL) and 339.07g (ADY), 328.33g (IY), 457.67g (PY), 48.08kg (TY), 77.33g (LTDY), 33.09 days (PD), 113.17days (LL) respectively. Wattled gene significantly (P<0.01) affected udder morphological traits and milk yield characteristics. Wattled does produced significantly (P<0.01) higher milk yield (59.80g) compared to non-wattled does (48.08kg). it is recommended from the outcome of this research that livestock keepers and breeders should breed does with wattle for increase milk production in Red Sokoto goats.